This invention relates to hardware for electronic devices, and in particular to a support for supporting electronic devices.
Commercial use electronic systems typically include electronic devices resting on a special sub-floor allowing for cable routing and grounding beneath the floor surface. In some cases, electronic devices are supported in commercial structures or racks.
Installation, service and upgrade of a commercial computer system can be a protracted and cumbersome process. Installation may require time consuming placement of supports within the standard racks.
Service and upgrade of commercial systems also typically requires removal of an electronic device from the rack. The difficulty of removing a module from the rack can be compounded by the increased weight of the element. Service and upgrade also may require disassembly of the computer module housing to access, repair or replace components internal to the module before the module is replaced within a rack.
When an electronic system is scaled or reconfigured and an electronic device is instead exchanged for another device of a different size, the supports within the rack have to be removed and reinstalled to accommodate the new device in the system. Supports are typically attached to the rack using a multi-piece fastener such as a nut and screw that must be assembled through a standard industry size aperture.
Electronic systems formed from these discrete units must be assembled together to make a larger system. Modules are typically difficult to align and install into the rack. The position of the module must typically be adjusted into the proper position and must be adjusted in order to be secured within the rack. Accessing portions of the electronic system typically requires accessing a number of discrete modules. Modules will typically be positioned within racks providing poor access to the module. This can slow the installation, service, and upgrade processes making larger systems from these components less desirable. This is also one cause of poor field serviceability. Proper positioning and servicing of modules is often either not done, poorly done, or is improperly done.
A need exists for improved electronic devices and for an improved means for supporting the electronic devices and for improving the ease with which commercial systems are installed, serviced, upgraded and scaled.
According to one aspect of the invention, the support bracket includes a front surface and a rear surface each including a portion having at least one threaded hole and a support portion between the front surface and rear surface for supporting an electronic device.
According to one aspect of the invention, the improved support bracket includes a side portion having a mechanism for coupling the side portion to a structure, a guide portion and a support portion for supporting an electronic device.
The resulting support bracket improves the ease with which the support bracket is installed, repositioned or removed from a structure and improves placement, installation, service and upgrade of electronic devices.